This white eggplant has a slightly unnerving beauty in that it appears artful rather than useful and, depending on the particular beholder’s eye through which we are beholding, either toxic or exotic. It just doesn’t declare itself. Looks aside, I have never been happy with the name “eggplant”; it has about it the ring of Toytown and, that being the case, I shall temporarily assume the character of Mr.Growser the Grocer, purveyor of eggplant, from his own egg trees, and resident curmudgeon of that town whose preferred judgement of all things that vex him, which accounts for most things, is that “they shouldn’t be allowed”. As chance would have it I was not yet born when the first series of Toytown was broadcast and, on the occasion of the second series in the late 50’s, I had reached that awkward age, too young for Lolita and too old for Mother Goose, so I missed that as well. There was apparently another series in the 70’s but I was unconscious for a large proportion of that decade; as for the rest of the time, I was just not paying attention. However, through a virtual revisit, I have become reacquainted with the place (Toytown) and it occurs to me that the principal characters, such as Larry the Lamb, Denis the Dachshund (very European with a strong German accent but a good grip of English, save for some misunderstandings), Mr Mayor the Mayor and Mr Growser would not give better or worse advice than those currently elected, some self and some by ballot, to clarify our choices and to lead us to their particular promised lands, both of which are apparently filled with silk and money.

On the other hand I very much like les aubergines blanches .
Yours faithfully
Disgusted – Toytown:)

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About Food,Photography & France

Photographer and film maker living in France. After a long career in London, my wife and I have settled in the Vendee, where we run residential digital photography courses with a strong gastronomic flavour.

24 Responses to immaculate deception…….

We have these beautiful pure white aubergines (have a similar if less well reasoned dislike of the word eggplant) here. You’ve inspired me to look at (and potentially photograph) them in a different light…

Nice photo. I have never before seen an all white aubergine. When I first came to Australia they were still called aubergine, but gradually the more common, and less descriptive, name of eggplant has been adopted. Do the white ones have a different flavour or texture?

No, they have a cream interior like other aubergines and taste the same when cooked. I believe the name eggplant was adopted because white aubergines have the look of an egg….I still don’t like the name:)

Trust me: one day I call it an eggplant, the next aubergine very likely: quite frankly have never thought about it but certainly do not mind the first!! Ardys is quite correct that here we do mostly call it eggplant now: perchance many simply did not know the ‘other’ pronunciation 🙂 ? Too ‘Frenchy’ for us Colonials . . . oh, have never seen such a beautiful white one either . . .